Last week, the European Commission proposed a directive for greater and more uniform protection of trade secrets throughout the European Union. The proposal’s goal is to increase innovation by better protecting EU businesses’ trade secrets and by removing barriers to cross-border research and development. The proposal is one part of the EU’s “Innovation Union” and IP strategies, adopted in May 2011.

The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded the decision of the Western District of Washington, which had ruled that Tom Lalor and Bumper Boy (“Bumper Boy”) were barred under equitable estoppel from bringing certain patent infringement claims and that none of Radio Systems’ other designs were infringing.